Bicycle hub and bearing.



No. 633,542. ,v Patented Sept. l9, I899.

W N WHITELY BICYCLE HUB AND BEARING.

(Application filed Jan. 5, 1897. Renewed Feb. 21. 1899.;

3 SheetsShest L No Model.)

scams Burns co. PHOTO-147110.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

{No Model.)

W. N. WHITELY.

Patented Sept. l9, I899.

BICYCLE HUB AND BEARING.

(Application filed. Jim. 5, 1897. Renewed Feb. 21, 1899.)

gag/424 3 Shuts-Sheet 2.

No. 633,542. Patented Sept. l9, I899. W. N. WHITELY.

BICYCLE HUB AND BEARING.

Application filed Jan. 5, 1897. Renewed Feb. 2!, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets8heet 3.

x f M I W. a; V

NITED STATES PATENT Erica.

\VILLIAllI N. \Vlll'lELY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OI-IIO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND IVILLIAM N. \VHITELY, JR, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE HUB AND BE ARING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 633,542, dated September 19, 1899.

Application filed January 5, 1897. Renewed February 21, 1899. Serial No. 706,424. (No model.)

To all whom it may concernis a similar view of the hub grooved and Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. IVHITELY, flanged in its final shape. Fig. Sis a similar a citizen of the United States, residing at viewshowingaportionof thehub with double Springfield, in the county of Clark, State of tangent spokes attached thereto. Fig. 9 is a 55 Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful longitudinal sectional view of the rear hub- Improvements in Bicycle Hubs and Bearings; bearings, showing the axlein elevation. Fig. and I do declare the following to be a full, 10 is an end view of one of the wheel hubs and clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, bearings with the locking-ring removed. such as will enable others skilled in the art Fig. 11 is an end view of the locking ring or 60 to to which it appertains to make and use the nut. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of same. the members of a bearing-casing, otherwise Myimprovementsrelate bothto theinterior known as the adjustable cupg Fig. 13, a and exterior construction of bearings for bisimilar view showingv another form of the cycles and other purposes. same. Fig. 14: is a perspective view of one 65 [5 The former part of the invention is appliform of the locking device for uniting the two cable to the bearing of the crank-shaft as well members of the bearing-casing. Fig. 15 is a as to those of the front and rear wheels, and sectional view of the two members of the cas relates more particularly to the means for ading and the nut detached, illustrating another justing and securely locking in the adjusted form of locking device. Fig. 16 is aperspec- 7o position certain parts of the ball-bearings. tive view, illustrating the same, of the cup. It also relates to the means for securing ball- Fig. 17 is a transverse sectional View, partly bearing shoulders or cones upon the rotary or in elevation, of a bearing easing, illustrating fixed shaft. The latter part of the invention another form of locking device. Fig. 18is an relates particularly to the production of a hub elevation, partly in section, of a shaft, show- 75 of light and strong construction adapted for ing the meansfor attaching the ball-engaging straight tangent spokes. shoulders or cones. Fig. 19 is a sectional view Theinvention consistsin the parts and comof the cone detached. Fig. 20 is an end view binations thereof hereinafter set forth and ofthe same. Figs. 21 and 22 are longitudinal claimed. sectional views showing portions of the wheel 80 In order to make the invention more clearly hub, illustrating different ways of forming the understood, 1 have shown in the accompanysame for the reception of straight tangent ing drawings means for carrying it into praespokes. tical effectwithoutlimitingmyimprovements Heretofore it has been proposed and atin their useful applications to the particular tempted to securely clamp the adjusted cup of 8 5 constructions which, for the sake of illustraa ball-bearing,previouslylocked positivelyby tion, I have delineated. a loose ring, by means of a not or screw ring on In said drawings, Figure l is an elevation the cup and engaging the hub not directly but of a bicycle embodying my invention. Fig. through the medium of said loose ring. This 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of that has proved insecure in practice by reason of 90 4o bearing-casing which contains the crankthe interposition of this third part-namely,

shaft and is otherwise known as the crankthe loose riugbetween the hub and nut. hanger. Fig. 3 is an end view of one member The first feature of my invention hasfor its of that bearingcasing which is adapted for object the clamping of the parts of a ballthe front or rear wheel, and is otherwise bearing in which such a loose ring or spur is 5 termed the wheel-hubbefore itisbored and employed in such manner that they will not formed to make seats for the attachment of become loose by the jarring involved in the tangent spokes. Fig. t is a plan view of a use of the machine; and to this end it concompleted rear hubembodying myinvention. sists in combining with the'spur, ring, or I Fig. 5 is an end view of the wheel-hub bored equivalent device for positively locking from rco to form spoke-seats. Fig. 6 is a similar view rotation the adjustable ball-bearing cup a oi. the hub, further formed exteriorly. Fig. 7 nut or screw ring adapted to be clamped in position by screwing it directly against the 1 whereby the operator by his finger or hand hub independent of the spur and not having 1 or the action of the device under a springits frictional bearing upon the latter.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of the bicycle,in connection with which machine I have chosen to illustrate my in vention, 2 and 3, the front and rear wheels; 4, the wheel-hubs; 5, the spokes; 6, the crankshaft; 7, the hanger, box, or hearing for the latter; 8, the cranks, and 9 and 10 the driving and rear sprockets. All of these parts, as well as those hereinafter described, may be of any preferred and suitable construction excepting as hereinafter pointed out as essential to the invention.

Referring now to the bearings and the means for adjusting and locking the same, as illustrated in the crank-shaft bearing in connection with a rotary axle, 6 indicates said axle provided with ball-bearing shoulders B with which engages the balls, cylinders, cones, or equivalent devices 0. It is to be understood that the axle is ordinarily supported at two or more points, say at each end, and a description of the balls and cooperating parts at one end will suffice for both.

D is a casing-in this instance the crankaxle hangersupported in the usual manner on the lower part of the frame 1, comprising two members which engage each other by a screw-thread. One of said members E is interiorly screw-threaded, as at 12, and the other member F is provided with ball-bearing shoulders G, adapted to cooperate with the shoulders B in engaging the balls 0, and with an exterior screw-thread 13 fitting the thread 12. By turning the member F it will be longitudinally adjusted in the member E, thereby regulating the tightness of the ballbearing. After said adjustment the member F is clamped rigidly in position bya nut or ring H, having an interior screw-thread 14 engaginga thread on said part F. This latter thread may bea continuation of the thread 13, (see Figs. 12, 13, and 16;) but it is preferred to make it ascrew-thread of opposite direction to the thread 13, as illustrated at sin Fig. 18, whereby the nut H is much more effective to clamp the membersE and F securely together. In connection with said clamping means, the operation of which has a tendency to rotate the member F and destroy its adjustment, my invention consists in means for locking the two members together either temporarily or otherwise to prevent any such undesired turning of the member F under the action of the nut, which means shall not interfere with the above-described direct engagement of the nut H With the member E. It is also essential that said locking means shall have the generic feature that it is loose, so that While engaging or connected with one of the members so as not to be rotatable independent thereof it may be pressed by the finger or mechanically directly or in right lines against the surface of the other member while the adjustment of the parts is being effected,

pressure may detect that the locking means has engaged also said other member to secure the two members together while the nut is screwed up. A locking means having these characteristics may take various forms having the described generic feature or features in common, which forms or certain of them I have illustrated and will describe. Referring now to the drawings, J indicates a series of locking-shoulders arranged around one of said members at suitable intervals, for instance, as shown. K is a loose spur connected with or adapted to engage the other member, as by a locking-shoulder I, and to be pressed by the finger or otherwise yieldingly in right lines directly toward and against the surface in which is formed the series of shoulders J. Having determined how far to screw up or unscrew the member F, the operator turns the rotary member. As the latter approaches its desired final position he, having the spur K in engagement with the shoulder I of one member, presses the spur or allows it to press yieldingly against the surface of the other member, continuing at the same time to turn the rotary member. WVhen the next shoulder of the series J comes in line with the spur, the latter willbe pressed into it and arrest the rotary member. Vhile the members are thus locked together, the nut H is screwed up, as already described, into direct engagement with the member E. Referring now more particularly to the differing details of construction illustrated, the spur may be connected with or engage primarily either of said members of the casing, the series of locking shoulders being provided on the other member. It may be loosely movable toward the latter member either longitudinally or radially. Its pressure toward the latter member may be given by hand. or by a spring. It may be connected with the former member merely by abutting alocking-shoulder or in other more permanent manner, as through the medium of the last-mentioned spring, and it may eifect the locking only temporarily while the two members are being clamped together, or its locking action may continue until the bearing is next to be adjusted.

Figs. 2, 4, 9, 10, 12, and 14 illustrate an arrangement in which the spur K is formed on a loose ring 16 encircling the member E at or near the end thereof, which ring is freely movable longitudinally toward or from the said member to engage the spur with or disengage it from the shoulders J, formed in its end surface by notching the same. The inner end of the spur engages continually with the shoulder I, formed by a groove in the member F. The arrangement of the ring 16 is such that it does not interfere with the direct engagement between the nut H and member E, butserves to cover the shoulders .I, concealing them and serving as a dustguard. While but one spur may be employed, I prefer to form the ring 16 with two diametrically opposite spurs, Fig. 14, and the member F with two corresponding shoulders I, Fig. 12, thereby giving more leverage to the ring in turning and holding the rotary member. The exteriorof the ring 16 may be suitably knurled or formed to be readily grasped by the thumb and finger in the adjusting operation. The spur K need not engage a groove or notch in the part F, but may be extended into the form of aflattened interior surface or surfaces of well-known character adapted to engage corresponding surfaces f on the member F, Fig. 13, to hold the latter from rotation.

In Figs. and 16 the carrying-ring 16 for the spur K is dispensed with and the latter formed on a slide 17, held in an undercut groove 18 in the rotary member F, in which it has sufficient longitudinal play to disengage from and engage with the shoulders J, being held from escape from the groove 18 by a stop-pin'lt).

In Fig. 17 the shoulder is formed in or on the member E and the spur K while engaging said shoulder, 7 is radially and yieldingly movable toward the surface of the member F, in which latter are formed the shoulders J. In Fig. 17 the spur is carried by a spring 20, fixed in a recess on the member E at 21. With this construction the spur need not be pressed by hand on the surface of the part F as the latter is being adjusted, as the spring 20 will perform this function. The flange of the nut H may screw over and protect the spring and hold down the spur, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 17. Then thus the spur is connected with one member by a spring, the point of engagement 21 of the spring is to be considered as the shoulder I or its equivalent.

The principle of my invention is the same when applied to a construction in which the shaft is fixed and the casing revolves, as in the case of a front or rear wheel, and in Figs.

'7, 9, and 10 I have shown it so applied to a fixed shaft 22. It will also be understood that while a means for locking and adjusting at one end only of the bearing is ordinarily sufficient my improvements may be provided at both ends, as seen in Figs. 2, 4, and 9.

In the construct-ion of the fixed and rotary shafts it has been attempted to form their ball-bearing shoulders or cones B integral with the shaft; but this has been found to be very objectionable in that the shaft and cones mustbe of radically-different tempers, the former soft and the latter very hard. It has also been attempted to form said cones separately and force them upon the shaft, so as to be tight thereon. In many cases in attempting to get the requisite tightness of fit the brittle and inelastic cones would be burst, while if this bursting was prevented the cones frequently fitted with insufficient tightness and became loose, so as to move on the shaft. By the present feature of my invention I obviate these difficulties. I form the interior of the cone B, Figs. 18 to 20, with sharp longitudinal corrugations 23, adapted when the cone is hardened to cut corresponding grooves in the shaft. The latter is formed with enlargements 24, upon which the cones B are forced longitudinally up against shoulders 25, as seen at the right of Fig. 1S. .The enlargements 24 have a radius about equal to that of the bottoms of the corrugations 23, so that the latter cut their way well into the surface of the shaft, removing enough of the latter to prevent the bursting of the cone. In order to give a clearance for the shavings cut from the parts 2% and enable the cones to come solidly against the shoulders 25, I bevel or incline the inner ends of the corrugations, as shown at 26. This also gives the cone enough compressing or wedging action on the shaft to insure a perfectly-tight fit.

Referring now to that part of my invention relating to the exterior formation of the bearing-casing, and particularly to Figs. 3 to 8, the hub 4 is formed in one piece of steel,with radial peripheral flanges L integral therewith, Fig. Said flanges are then bored with longitudinal holes forming interior arched seats M for the spoke-heads, Fig. 5. The holes of the two flanges are not in line, but arranged, as seen in the figure, to bring the spokes in proper alternate position on the rim. 5 indicates the spokes, having their heads Within the seats M and passing radially from said seats through radial holes P, Figs. 4 and 8. I prefer to further finish and lighten the hub by removing exterior portions of the flanges, leaving recesses Q between the seats, Fig. 6, and by grooving the sides of the flanges L, Figs. '7, 21, and 22, so as to leave concentric flanges R connecting the arches and radial webs S, which carry the flanges R. The flanges maybe grooved, so as to leave the webs S on either their inner sides, Fig. 21, or on their outer sides, Fig. 22. The holes P may be and are preferably countersunk interiorly, thus concealing the heads of the spokes. I am thus enabled to form a light hub of great strength in which the straight tangent spokes are furnished with accurate seats transverse to the spokes.

I claim- 1. In a bearing for bicycles or like purposes a hub or barrel provided with a series of recesses or shoulders, having an axle with a ball-bearing shoulder, a longitudinally-adjustable screw-threaded ball-bearing cup having an exterior groove and screwed into the end of said barrel, antifriction balls against and between the said shoulder and cup, a ring having a spur which engages both a recess of said barrel and the groove of said cup to hold the latter positively from rotation, and a nut or ring screwing on the cup, confindirections of the ing said spur and engaging directly against the hub to lock itself and the cup independently of the spur.

2. In a bearing for bicycles and other purposes the combination with an axle having ball-bearing shoulders or cones, and balls or equivalent devices engaging the same, of a casing comprising two members engaging each other by a screw-thread one of which members is provided with ball-bearin g shoulders and is longitudinally adjustable by said thread to regulate the tightness of the bearing, one of said members being provided with a locking-shoulder and the other with a series of locking-shoulders, a loose ring having an inwardly-extending spur adapted to engage said locking-shoulder of one member and 10 be pressed in right lines directly toward the other member to engage one of said series of shoulders, whereby it may lock said members against relative rotation, and a nut or ring screwing on one of said members and tightly engaging directly against the other member, the locking-spurbeingat the inner side of the nut and held in its locking position thereby.

3. In a bearing for bicycles and like purposes the' combination of a barrel or hub, an axle therein having shoulders, cups or rings in the hubhaving opposing shoulders, one of which cups is exteriorly threaded and adj ustable longitudinally of the axle, bearing-balls between said shoulders, a ring exterior to and around the end of the barrel having a locking-spur engaging the barrel and cup to prevent rotation and longitudinally movable relative to said parts, and a locking ring or not screwing on said cup and tightly engaging directly against the barrel and on the outer side of and retaining the locking-spur.

4:. In a bearing for bicycles and other purposes, the combination of a barrel or hub, having on its end a series of notches, an axle therein having shoulders, cups or rings'in the barrel or hub having opposing shoulders, one of which cups is exteriorly threaded and provided with a longitudinal groove and adjustablelongitudinally of the axle,balls orequivalent devices between said shoulders, a locking-spur of less lateral dimension than the depth of said notches adapted to engage one of the latter and also said groove of the cup, means for holding the spur in position and a ring or nut screwing on said cup and clamping directly against the barrel at the outer side of the spur to confine the latter and to clamp itself and the cup independently of the spur.

5. In a roller-bearing, the combination with a shaft, of a shoulder or cone of hard material formed with an internal bearing having sharp corrugations adapted to cut into the material of the latter when the cone is forced thereon.

6. The combination with the shaft, of the cone having the sharp internal cutting corrugations beveled at their ends.

7. Asanew article of manufacture, a shoulder or cone for ball-bearings formed of hard material and having sharp internal cutting corrugations.

8. As a newarticle of manufa'ctureawheelhub for straight tangent spokes, consisting of a barrel formed with radial flanges integral therewith, which flanges are grooved on their sides to leave radial webs S and lateral flanges R, and bored with longitudinal holes forming interior arched seats for the spoke-heads.

9. As a new article of manufacture a wheel for straight tangent spokes, consisting of a barrel formed with radial flanges integral therewith, which flanges have the external recesses Q and are grooved to leave radial webs S and inwardly-extending flanges R, and bored intermediately of said recesses with longitudinal holes forming interior arched seats for the spoke-heads.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM N. WVHITELY.

IVitnesses:

H. N. Low, HOMER MORRIS. 

